Connector



July 2, 1940. E G. .1. EDERQUls-r CONNECTOR Filed March 1, 1938 INVENTOR Patented July 2, 1940 UNITED VSTATES CONNECTOR Ernest G. J. Pederquist, Bloomfield, N. J., assign- 4or to The Rajah Company, Bloomfield, N. J., a

corporation of New Jersey Application March 1, 1938, Serial No.'193,236y

3 Claims.

This invention relates to a connector for connecting exble strands, such as insulated cable. hose, rod or tubing of exible elastic material, e. g., rubber or fabric and the like.

Prior to my invention the connectionrof such flexible strands to rigid membersfor apparatus or even the coupling of several lengths of such strands together had always been a diilcult problem. Numerous devices for connecting rigid l rods, pipes, etc., have been known, but in general these have not been applicable where such members Vare made of a flexible material which can yield and alter its shape, and particularly where such materials are relatively soft as in the l5 case of rubber, fabric and similar materials. One method which has been used with substantially rigid tubes is the compression of a rubber or brous packing or a thin sheet metal ferrule in a packing gland. 'I 'his method, however, has depended on a frictional engagement between the soft or thin metal material of the lpacking and the relatively hard material of the rod or pipeor tube around which the packing is compressed. It has been suggested moreover, to use such pack- 85 ing glands for securing insulated wires, but they have never been accepted in practical use in connection with flexible strands, such as rubber, fibrous fabric and the like; and I believe that this is due to the fact that it has always been sought to secure engagement with the flexible strand by surface friction or adhesion, which necessarily precludes a satisfactory compression of the gland material along the strand. In fact, the ordinary packing glands as heretofore used are not satis- 85 factorily adapted for use on flexible strand materials.

l have now ydiscovered, however, that if such soft friction material is replaced by a wir'e of material-hard enough to depress itself into the 40 soft strand, the packing gland structure may be made satisfactory. Thus, a helical coil of wire or similar material `may b e compressed axially, for example, in an ordinary packing gland having a compression'space a little wider than the wire of the coil, and the slippage of the several coils l readily removable connections for such flexible strands.

Another object of my invention is to provide such a device which is economical'to manufacture and easy to use. c l

In the accompanying drawing I have illustrated a preferred embodiment of my invention as specifically applied to an electrical flexible insulated cable connector. However,` this drawing andl the accompanying description are not` in- 10 tended to be exhaustive. nor limiting of the invention; but, on the contrary, these are given as illustrations with the purpose of so fully explaining the invention and principles thereof and the best manner of employing it in practical use 15 that others skilled in the art may readily adapt and modify the invention and utilize it in numerous forms and numerous modications, each as may be best adapted to the conditions of any particular use.

In the drawing:

Fig. `1 is a view partly in longitudinal section and partly in elevation showing the parts utilized according in my invention separate but ready for assembly; y 25 Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the parts assembled and the connection between the flexible strands and the connector fully established; and

Fig. 3 is a view partly in elevation and partly in cross section of another application of my 30 connector showing a rigid pipe connected to a flexible hose or tubing. l

In the drawing I have shown a flexible electrical cable comprising a stranded central conductorA I0 and a heavy rubber insulating sheath 35 II. The rubber insulation is stripped back for a short distance near one end so that the exposed portion of the central conductor Ill can be connected `to a terminal connector I2. An insulating handle I3 is secured over the terminal con- 40 nector and is provided with a tubular extension I4 extending beyond the connector and over the end of the insulating sheath II. Near the bottom of the largest bore 2| in this tubular exten'- sion I4 is a shelf I5 which is made conical in 45 order to crowd the helical packing coil closer against the insulating sheath II. In the caso illustrated, there is an additional bore 20 in the if the coil were allowed to come substantially to the end of the sheath I I.

A still smaller hole I8 is provided, as shown.

to allow the stranded conductor I0 to pass4 through into contact .with the terminal connector I2.

The tubular extension I4 is internally threaded,

' as shown, and a gland nut I'I is provided to screw The helical coil `I8 completes the combinatiom' and, as appears from the drawing, especially in Figs; 1 and 3, the wire of this helical coil is of a diameter approximately equal to but less than the diierencebetween the radius of the intermediate bore 2U of the tubular extension I4 andA the bore of thenut I1 on the one hand and -the radius of the larger bore 2l on the other hand. Advantageously the wire is, as shown in the drawing, of diameter slightly less than, but more than half, this difference in radii. y

The parts as shown in Fig. 1 are assembled by iirst inserting the cable with its helical coil I8 and its projecting portion of the conductor I0 bared, as shown, into the insulating handle I3. The helical coil I8 ts into the threadediportion of the tubular extension I4 and .engages at the bottomA against the shelf I5. The portion of the sheath II beyond the helical` coil extends on into the smaller opening in the handle I3 'and the bared central conductor I0 extends through t the smallest opening into the larger space beyond.

The terminal connector I2 is then screwed into the opening on the opposite side of `the handle I3 so that its conical point makes an electrieai-contact with the stranded central conductor-I0 and clamps the strands thereof against the sides of` `the opening.

The gland nut I1 is then screwed down onto the helical coil compressing it axially and causing the turns tocrowd down one over the other so as -to drive a part of them into the exible sheath II and thus to securely grip the sheath but without danger of cutting or tearing it.

It will be observed that the direction of winding of the helical coil is opposite to that' of the screw thread of the, gland nut, the former being, in the case illustrated, a left-hand spiral. and the latter a'right-hand spiral. With this arrangezment the screwing down of the gland nut so far l as it engages the end ofthe helical coil tends to tighten 'the coil upon the sheath II andthus further to secure the desired result. If itis desired to separate the connection the procedure is simply reversed. Or, if the helical coil is too firmly engaged in the tubular extension I 4, the' end of the helical coilmay be pulled out and the wire unwound from the coil in order to release the insulation sheath II from the insulating handle I3.

Although I have shown in the drawing described above a preferred embodiment asapplied to an electrical connector it must not be thought that the invention is in any way limited to this use or to the particular structures shown. As already suggested above, the invention can be applied in the same manner to the coupling or connection of hoses, e. g., for carrying liquids, as for example, gasoline lines or hydraulic brake lines or' compressed air lines, e. g., for pneumatic tools, etc.

ThusI have shown in Fig. 3 a coupling for connecting a flexible rubber hose to a rigid metal pipe or other rigid apparatus. The rubber hose 'in this case is shown at IIa. vThe rigid pipe or other element toI which it is to -be connected is shown at I3a and, as shown, this is provided with a recess near one end which at its bottom approximately fltsthe end of the hose IIa and near its bottom has a conical shelf` I5a against which the helical coil -I8a is clamped by means ofthe glandv nut I'Ia. If the hose I Ia is fairly stiff the structure thus far described would be adequate and it will be found lthat the compression of the i helical coil I8a will, partly by driving the hose I Ia axially into the end of the recess and partly by squeezing-the flexible material of the hose toward its end so as -to expand it into said recess, make a duid-tight connection therein. However, it is desirable, and particularly in the case where the hose I Ia is of thin or very flexible material, to provide a nipple Illa welded or 4threaded into the member i3d so as to make an airtight con-` nection therewith. When the hose is inserted into the recess it is pushed over the nippletand the nipple then makes a substantially rigid core against which the compression from the helical coil I8a can be directed and thus an airtight 4`and secure connection is made between the nipple and the hose. .In this case, I have shown a compression washer I9 above the coil I8a to preclude any possibility of the wire I 8a becoming caught between the nutV IIa and the end of the connection I3a'; 'I'his washer, however, is not essential and may he omitted with use of fa longer coil or a shorter bore.

Likewise, as will be evident to those skilled in the art, the other elements of the combination are merely exemplary. For example, the screw -threaded gland member is merely exemplary of numerous well known means for compressing.

The material used for the wire and its cross sectional shape'are important in the operation oi"niyinvention'4 The lshape should be such that upon longitudinal compression the turn's of the coil will tend to slip under and over one another,

thus converting the longitudinal compression into a lateral-force against the strand. I have found that the best cross sectional shape for my purpose isthe circular shape of the ordinary drawn wire. Likewise the material is advantageously sufliciently hard so that this slippage of one turn over another can occur readily, .and yet sufiicientiy soft so that the turns can adjustI themselves readily to the changed form required by thisfcompression and slippage. If the material is too soft, as for example with an ordinary soft rubber ibre or cord, there would be excessive friction in the slippage of one'turn over another, so that it would be practically impossible to obtain Y the necessary compression of the packing, and it could not give the desired depression into the insulation oi' hose or other strand. Likewise, if

the material is too hard, as for example with a A spring steel wire, the resistance to deformation may be so excessive as to require an excessive axial compression force in order to obtain the necessary lateral. engagement with th/e hose or insulation, etc. most practicable for this purpose is a soft copper wire, which is suiiiciently hard for all practical purposes and yet is sufliciently soft to be readily wrapped around the wire and shifted and' I have found that the material.

tightened under the compressive force exerted t by the gland nut. wire may be used..

My invention will be found most advantageous Similarly a soft aluminum where the iiexible strand is used for pulling on the apparatus to which it is connected. Thus, for example, certain pneumaticor hydraulic apparatus may be carried or pulled by the hose attached to it, and likewise, with insulated'electricalcables frequently these are disconnected from the terminals on which they are used by Jerking on the wire itself rather than by pulling the terminal connector or its rigid insulating handle. In` such case the stress of the pull is taken by the connection embodying my present invention, and there is little danger of breakage or disconnection. It is also an advantage of the form shown, in which the gland nut projects beyond the part tc which provides a convenient projection by which a pull may be more easily exerted upon the rigidportion or handle and thereby encourages the user to pull on that part rather than on the ilexible strand which isconnected to it.

What I claim is:

1. A' connector for ,a flexible elastic strand which comprises a female member having a bore adapted to .receive a portion of said strand, a shelf around said bore, and a larger bore open to the end of said member, a coil of wire adapted 4to be inserted into said larger bore against said shelf and therein to embrace the end of the strand, the wire of said coil having a diameter substantially less than, but more than half, the difference between the radii of said rst-named bore and said larger bore, respectively, and means 'for compressing said coil axially, said means having a bore of approximately the same radius as it is attached, that it said ilrst-named bore of the female member and adapted to receive a portion oi said strand and having a shelf around said bore for engaging the end of said coil, at least' one of said shelves being sloping with respect to the axis of the bore, whereby to displace laterally the wire in the end of the coil, and the metal of the wire being of hardness sufiicientto prevent substantial deformation of its cross-sectional shape during axial compression of the coil whereby successive turns crowd laterally over one another under axial compression.

2. A connector as deilned in claim 1, in which the wire of said-coil is a wire of approximately the iiexibility and hardness of copper.

3. 'Ihe combination of 4a, exlble elastic strand,

a pair of"compressio'n members having a bore in each to receive a portion of said strand, having means thereon to exert axial compression between them and having a recess in at least one of said members with a shelf on each `oi' said members at the end of said recess. and a coil of wire wrapped around said strand within said recess said wire being of diameter less than, but more than half, the diii'erence between the radii of the strand before compression and said recess respectively, and said coil being compressed between said shelves and having its various turns radially displaced relative to one another a d at least some of said turns crowded into the astic strand by the andai pressure oi said shelves on said coil.

f ERNEST G. J. PEDERQUIBT. 

